Nocturnal plasma catecholamine, tryptophan, glucose, and free fatty acid levels have been measured in 19 subjects who regularly awoke from sleep with migraine. All-night polygraphic sleep recordings were also made. 13 subjects were studied on a second occasion allowing within-subject control as well as group comparison. Plasma total catecholamine and specifically plasma-noradrenaline levels were significantly higher in the three hours before the subjects awoke with migraine. No differences were found in plasma tryptophan, glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid levels in the migraine/no-migraine categories. Waking with migraine occurred significantly more often from rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. There were no other differences in sleep pattern in the migraine/no-migraine categories.